The Congress has alleged that several instances of ‘vote-theft’ have surfaced in Rewari municipal elections with the publication of the supplementary voter lists.
The Opposition party has lodged a written complaint in this regard with the District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Meena.
A delegation of residents from Ward No. 12, led by Congress leader and former Rewari MLA Chiranjeev Rao, met Meena at his office and submitted a complaint regarding alleged fake votes, suspicious voter lists and other irregularities in the municipal council elections.
As per the complaint, there are serious irregularities in the supplementary voter list for Ward No. 12.
“A number of persons who are not residents of the said ward have been registered as voters. Photograph of one person has been used on multiple voter cards and a particular house number has been shown as the address of a large number of voters," the complaint maintains.
The Deputy Commissioner assured the delegation that the matter would be probed and action taken against those found guilty.
“The matter will be probed. If it is a clerical error, it will be rectified promptly. In case any irregularities are found, action will be taken against the booth-level officer(s) found responsible," he stated.
The DC maintained that the district administration is committed to conducting the municipal elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Chiranjeev Rao said: “The case of vote theft in Rewari has now come out in the open. Attempts to undermine democracy will not be tolerated at any cost. A large number of voters registered under a single house number is a very serious matter and should be investigated impartially."
He said it is the responsibility of the Election Commission and the local administration to conduct the elections with complete transparency and fairness so that the public’s faith in democracy remains intact.
The Congress leader demanded a high-level investigation into the entire matter and strict action against the culprits. He appealed to the candidates contesting the municipal council elections in other wards as well as residents in general to come forward and report any such discrepancies in voter lists in their wards.
“The Congress party and aware citizens will work together to expose every discrepancy to protect democracy," he asserted.
The former MLA stated that the Deputy Commissioner has been asked to conduct an impartial investigation into all such complaints and take strict action against the officials and others found guilty.
He also alleged that attempts are being made to mislead and intimidate the voters.
“The Congress party supports fair, transparent and fear-free elections and will continue to raise its voice to protect the rights of the people," he maintained.
